Pick and place apparatus

Abstract

A pick and place apparatus includes a plurality of device holing elements in a predetermined arrangement; a power supply mechanism for supplying a power for controlling a horizontal pitch between the plurality of device holding elements; a power transmission mechanism for delivering the power from the power supply mechanism to the plurality of device holding elements as a translational force in a horizontal direction; a first linear motion guide mechanism for guiding horizontal movements of some of the plurality of device holding elements; and a second linear motion guide mechanism disposed below the first linear motion guide mechanism, for guiding horizontal movements of the other device holding elements. The plurality of device holding elements are slidably coupled to the first and the second linear motion guide mechanism alternately.

1. A pick and place apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of device holding elements arranged in a row along a horizontal direction; 
 a power supply mechanism for supplying a power for controlling a horizontal pitch between the plurality of device holding elements; 
 a power transmission mechanism for delivering the power from the power supply mechanism to the plurality of device holding elements as a translational force in the horizontal direction; 
 a first linear motion guide mechanism for guiding horizontal movements of some of the plurality of device holding elements; and 
 a second linear motion guide mechanism disposed below the first linear motion guide mechanism, for guiding horizontal movements of the other device holding elements, 
 wherein the plurality of device holding elements are slidably coupled to the first and the second linear motion guide mechanism alternately, and 
 wherein the first and the second linear motion guide mechanisms are stationary. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of device holding elements are slidably coupled to the first and the second linear motion guide mechanism so as to be arranged symmetrically with respect to a vertical central line. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein one of the first and the second liner motion guide mechanism is a linear motion guide. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein each of the first and the second liner motion guide mechanism is a linear motion guide. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a multiplicity of pitch setting rings for connecting each of the plurality of device holding elements to their neighboring elements, wherein the power transmission mechanism delivers the power from the power supply mechanism to the device holding elements located at both ends of the arrangement in a horizontal direction. 
     
     
       6. A pick and place apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of device holding elements arranged in a front row along a horizontal direction; 
 a multiplicity of device holding elements arranged in a rear row along the horizontal direction behind the front row; 
 a power supply mechanism for supplying a power for controlling a horizontal pitch between the device holding elements in each row; 
 a front-row power transmission mechanism for delivering the power from the power supply mechanism to the plurality of device holding elements in the front row as a translational force in the horizontal direction; 
 a rear-row power transmission mechanism for delivering the power from the power supply mechanism to the multiplicity of device holding elements in the rear row as a translational force in the horizontal direction; 
 a first front-row linear motion guide mechanism for guiding horizontal movements in some of the plurality of device holding elements of the front row; 
 a second front-row linear motion guide mechanism for guiding horizontal movements of the other device holding elements in the front row; 
 a first rear-row linear motion guide mechanism for guiding horizontal movements of some of the multiplicity of device holding elements in the rear row; and 
 a second rear-row linear motion guide mechanism for guiding horizontal movements of the other device holding elements in the rear row, 
 wherein the first and the second front-row linear guide mechanism are disposed at a front side with respect to the plurality of holding devices in the front row, while the first and the second rear-row linear guide mechanism are disposed at a rear side with respect to the multiplicity of holding devices in the rear row, 
 wherein the plurality of device holding elements in the front row are slidably coupled to the first and the second front-row linear guide mechanism alternately, while the multiplicity of device holding elements in the rear row are slidably coupled to the first and the second rear-row linear guide mechanism alternately, and 
 wherein the first front-row, the second front-row, the first rear-row and the second rear-row linear motion guide mechanisms are stationary. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of device holding elements in the front row are slidably coupled to the first and the second front-row linear motion guide mechanism so as to be arranged symmetrically with respect to a vertical central line, while the multiplicity of device holding elements in the rear row are slidably coupled to the first and the second rear-row liner motion guide mechanism so as to be arranged symmetrically with respect to a vertical central line. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising plural pitch setting rings for connecting each of the device holding elements in the front and the rear row to their neighboring elements, wherein the front-row power transmission mechanism delivers the power from the power supply mechanism to the device holding elements located at both ends of the front row in a horizontal direction, while the rear-row power transmission mechanism delivers the power from the power supply mechanism to the device holding elements located at both ends of the rear row in the horizontal direction. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising a front-row power supply mechanism for supplying a power for controlling a horizontal pitch between the plurality of device holding elements in the front row and a rear-row power supply mechanism for supplying a power for controlling a horizontal pitch between the multiplicity of device holding elements in the rear row.